Dr Ho-Sung Kim

Career Summary

Biography

Ho-Sung’s research covers a relatively wide range of research topics as appeared in over 100 publications for the fields including complex assessment, fracture mechanics (http://bookboon.com/en/mechanics-of-solids-and-fracture-ebook), and manufacturing and properties of composite materials. He was a director of research and development for Aceboard Building Products Pty Ltd in 2015, and had been nominated as expert of international standing by the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts and thus has contributed to assessments on ARC research proposals. He has been invited to international conferences in recognition of major contributions. His research has led his PhD students to be awarded a Faculty of Engineering and Environment Post graduate Research prize in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering in 2004 and 2016. He has been a session chairman in various international conferences. He was invited to IVW (Institute of Composite Materials), Kaiserslautern University of Technology, Germany, 2003 under auspices of DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Auatauschdienst) German Academic Exchange Service fellowship, and was also invited in 2015 as a visiting Professor to the University of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerela, India. He has been also invited to review numerous submitted research papers for international journals and international conferences, and PhD theses. He has been a member of various committees of international conferences.

The research achievements are as follows.

The relativity theory for complex assessment uncertainty was developed, which may be regarded as an important milestone in the modern complex assessment. The concept for quantification adopted in the theory is applicable for the validity of educational and research funding application assessments. Many people throughout the world have been disadvantaged due to the results of unfair assessments associated with complexity and ignorance of assessors. Ho-Sung hopes his contributions in the field may help reducing such unfairness.

A theoretical breakthrough was made in the validity framework of S-N fatigue damage leading to finding a valid damage function. It is hoped that this achievement will be the most significant timeless milestone in the S-N fatigue damage research history. The theory has been the first of its kind since the term ‘fatigue’ was first appeared in1854.

Other innovative contributions have been in two major avenues in the area of composites, leading to various new fundamental theories for understanding new physical phenomena in particulate composites. One of the avenues in the research was opened by inventing a new method of micro-scale stress intensity factor manipulation. Since then, novel toughened thermosets have been developed. New toughening mechanisms have been found. Generalized conditions for fracture surface morphology have been developed and new analyses have been conducted. A new method for statistical analysis was developed. New criteria for toughening mechanisms have been developed.

Another avenue in the research was opened by inventing new methods of manufacturing process of syntactic foams including perlite composites. (A syntactic foam is a composite made of hollow microspheres or perlite and binder.) The methods cover a wide range of families of light syntactic foam materials. The pioneering fundamental theories for new concept and new formulas associated with manufacturing parameters and properties have been developed. One of important concepts developed is about the plane stress/strain strength and modulus in syntactic foams.

Research ExpertiseHo-Sung's research areas include fatigue of polymers, fatigue of fibre reinforced composites, fracture mechanisms of toughened polymers, impact performance of protective materials, manufacturing and properties of composite materials, and complex assessment.

Fatigue mechanisms and life time prediction of E-glass/vinyl ester composites are studied. Unnotched unidirectional composites subjected to tension-tension sinusoidal loading with a frequency of 1.5 Hz were employed. Quantitative damage data were obtained and analysed for the fatigue life prediction. S-N data and curve were constructed and fatigue mechanisms at different stress ranges were discussed in terms of stiffness reduction/fatigue modulus and quantitative damage. It was found that the micro-crack density increased logarithmically with increasing number of loading cycles. A model based on the fatigue modulus reduction was developed to predict an S-N curve using phenomenological parameters. The life time predictions were shown to be in good agreement with experimental results.

Islam MM, Kim H-S, 'An overview on manufacturing and properties of syntactic foams made of ceramic hollow microspheres and starch', Futures in Mechanics of Structures and Materials: Proceedings of the 20th Australasian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials, Toowoomba, QLD (2009) [E1]